Why I Ran...

Dr. Tony Burks

I ran because I care about the students of the Atlanta Public Schools. 

I’ve worked in education across the country since 1993. I worked in APS from 2012 to 2015. I’ve been a classroom teacher, an elementary school principal, and a high school principal twice. I’ve led other educators as a college instructor, a mentor, and an area superintendent twice. I even started a top-ranked public high school from scratch.

Over the last 25 years, I’ve learned from some of the best educators and thought leaders around. I’ve helped thousands of children and their families grow and learn. I’ve also learned lots from my students.

James Baldwin was right, “These are all our children; we will benefit by or pay for what they become.” Our campaign is about children, learning, and community. Together we will do great things for our children and the Atlanta Public Schools.
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Tony Burks

My Morehouse-APS Connection...

I've known and cared about the Atlanta Public Schools since my college days in the late 80s. 

When I entered Morehouse College as a first year student, I was told stories about Morehouse Men like Martin Luther King Jr, Maynard Jackson, Michael Lomax, Edwin Moses, Howard Thurman, Samuel Jackson, Louis Sullivan, David Satcher, and Spike Lee. We were encouraged to graduate and enter the world as difference makers.

​I worked on campus as a resident assistant and mostly volunteered on campus with various student organizations.  When I decided to volunteer off-campus, I volunteered at APS's Oglethorpe Elementary School which was once a laboratory school for Atlanta University.

We all learned about Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays and his love for the Atlanta Public Schools.  Dr. Mays went on to serve as president of the Atlanta Board of Education after retiring as president of Morehouse College.

​Though not a Morehouse Man himself, Dr. Mays' life became a blueprint for us as students and graduates of the college.  Dr. Mays was clear in his expectation of all Morehouse Men, "You have the ability, now apply yourself."

Dr. Mays by Robert Templeton, 1969

Dr. Burks on the cover of a Morehouse College recruitment brochure, 1992

Dr. Burks as an elementary school principal, 1999

CHILDREN
I ran because I wanted to make things better for students of the Atlanta Public Schools. Our children are brilliant beyond measure.

One of our main responsibilities as Board Members is to create policies that help educators help students. When we remove roadblocks and barriers, our children succeed.

​James Baldwin was right, "These are all our children; we will benefit by or pay for what they become." Together we can do great things for our children.

LEARNING
I ran because I have helped children and their families grow and learn for more than 25 years. I've been a classroom teacher, an elementary school principal, a college instructor, a high school principal twice, and an area superintendent twice.

This decision to run was about more than me helping others learn; it was also about me learning and being an example of learning. I keep learning–whether it's learning how to build this campaign website, or taking ballet classes for the first time in my early 40s, or enrolling in a School of Ministry--I know the importance of learning for life.

Dr. Burks was the founding principal-director of The Early College at Guilford, 2002

Dr. Burks as Doctor B the storyWeaver speaking about early learning and literacy, 2013

COMMUNITY
I ran because public education–at its heart–is about community. I know from my work in Tennessee, California, and North Carolina that community matters. We can have a great idea; however, if it isn't connected to the community, it won't be successful and it won't last.

I've been blessed to work in private schools, public schools, and small and large districts across our country. I've learned with and from some of the best senior educators and thought leaders around. In the end, schools succeed when the community is involved and engaged.